


Read Between the Lines

by SpecterOfSong



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: M/M, Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Mention of blood, Minor Injuries, Unnamed Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:41:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24504820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpecterOfSong/pseuds/SpecterOfSong
Summary: When assisting Urianger in reorganizing his home after an unfortunate incident at the hands of the Fae, the Warrior of Light stumbles across a tome describing the ways one might divine the future. A practical demonstration follows; as Urianger reveals not just the reading of his life, but the feelings held in his heart.
Relationships: Urianger Augurelt/Warrior of Light
Comments: 9
Kudos: 32





	Read Between the Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Urianger-speak is probably the hardest dialogue I've ever had to write, so please forgive me if parts of it dont make sense. I attempted to write the WoL to be as race-neutral as possible, so please enjoy :)

Sorting through the books before him, he briefly glanced over the titles before setting them in their respective piles. He hadn’t intended to go through Urianger’s entire collection; only wishing to find the few tomes he had unwittingly unleashed upon the elezen’s home at the behest of the fae. 

Per usual, one thing led to another, and after finally hunting down and removing the offending enchantments; he found himself tidying up the rest in apology for the trouble. Urianger had insisted it was fine; in the elezen’s own words, he found the space “manageably navigable”. Of course; for the Warrior of Light, that made it a challenge, not that he was really opposed to spending more time with one of his dearest companions. Never one to leave something half finished, he went through the mess section by section, managing to cover half of the room before the sun retreated too low into the sky to provide enough natural light for the space. As Urianger moved about, lighting the candles in the room with a quick incantation, he finally broke their comfortable silence.

“Is it not time for thee to rest? I wish not to see thee overworked so soon after thy battles with Eden.” 

Placing the last of his pile down with a huff, he relented, knowing better than to argue with him directly about it. On one such occasion, he had ended up face first in the lake at the behest of the Fuath; Urianger unfortunately forced to bargain for his release before finally resorting to threats of summoning Feo Ul to their aid.

Chuckling at the thought of his friend angrily summoning said pixie, he moved to the loveseat in the center of the room, draping himself over it, with one arm thrown dramatically over his eyes. Sighing much too loudly, he was determined to get the other man to concede to letting him go just a bit longer.

“Oh, woe is me!~That I must be pulled away from my pile of books-with nary a reward in sight!”

Looking out from underneath his arm with a smirk; he made eye contact with the Elezen from the other end of the room, who only turned away in annoyance at his dramatics. Continuing on when the other made no further movement, he started up once more.

“If only there were some sort of entertainment! Perhaps I could go wander the shoreline in the dark? I’m sure there’s nothing to be fearfu-oof!” His speech was cut off by a pile of books deposited abruptly in his lap, the elezen appearing from seemingly nowhere before returning to his place tidying the shelves.

“Thou may categorize these-provided thou _does not move_ from thy seat.”

Grinning widely- he set to work, once more organizing them into their respective places on the floor. Nearly finished with the first group, he turned to the next pile - surprised to see that the tome on top looked rather different from the rest. While most were practically untouched- basic records of a bygone age- this tome, simply titled ‘ _Astrology and Divination’_ , was well used; dog ears marking a majority of the pages. Glancing back to where he had last seen his companion; he appeared thoroughly distracted with cleaning the dust from a large set of tomes, giving him the freedom to read it unnoticed.

Flipping through the pages at random, a slip of parchment dislodged, marking a chapter related to the various methods of divination for the future; ranging from celestial markers in the night skies to reading the entrails of slain enemies. Suppressing a shudder at _that_ mental image, he flipped the page, now looking through an entry discussing the method of divination through the appearance of one’s hands. As absorbed in the contents as he was, he heard nothing of Urianger’s approach till he placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.

“I see thou hast discovered mine own book of study. Hast thee any interest in the path of the Astrologian?”

Jumping in place, he nearly dropped the heavy tome- quick reflexes the only thing saving it from tumbling into his neatly organized pile of books.

“Gods above- you gave me a fright! I ought to put a bell on you- sneaking about like a Coeurl on the hunt.” Twisting in place, he stared up at the elezen, now standing close behind as he attempted to view the page of interest. Hugging the book to his chest, he huffed in embarrassment, lowering the tome so the other could see the contents.

“If you must know, I was rather interested in it’s contents discussing divination. Especially that of…Chiromancy?” Checking to confirm it’s title, he handed the tome over so that the other could see, watching as he skimmed through its contents with ease. 

“Aye- the reading of palms, a technique used oft by early societies predating the Kingdom of Voeburt; though it hast some practitioners in the modern age.” Moving from his previous position, he joined him on the loveseat, adjusting the book to be more easily seen in the now dimmed light.

“Whilst difficult to provide any validity to their claims, twas oft believed a hand couldst foretell an individual’s future- or traits of thy personality.” Following along where Urianger gestured at the book, he found himself lost as he attempted to keep up with his lengthy description.

“I must admit, even after reading the text myself, I still find I understand very little…”

Running his hand over his chin, Urianger leaned back in his seat, lost in thought for a moment. “Perhaps a demonstration shalt suffice? Reading thy palm may prove an adequate example.” Taking a moment to adjust, he moved closer, open hand held out in expectancy of his own. Placing it into Urianger’s, he turned his face to the side, desperately hoping that the dim light would hide the flush now traveling up his face from the intimate situation. Urianger seemed to take no notice-instead moving him closer to the candle on the table, turning his hand to and fro, seemingly deep in thought, before finally speaking. 

“Hmmm.. thou art possess’d of the hand of Flame” 

“Flame? Are the elements a part of your readings as well?” He leaned forward, embarrassment forgotten in exchange for curiosity, attempting to see how he had managed to determine that from what seemed to be a rather cursory glance. “How can you even tell?” Tilting his hand back towards the other so he could see, Urianger began trailing the edge of his hand with his own, carefully highlighting the outline of his palm and fingers as he spoke.

“Thy palm is extended, while thy fingers remain shorter in length.” Moving back down the length of his hand, he came to a stop on the palm once more and continued. “The mounds of thy hand art pronounced, each distinguishable from the other, while the creases art deep and seen with ease.” 

Tilting his head to the side as he listened, yet another question appeared as their earlier conversation sprung to mind. 

“And do these elemental relations mean anything? You gave mention to certain traits readable from these divinations.” Looking back up at him, he waited eagerly as Urianger thought for a moment.

“Well...Whilst not applicable to every individual, some traits doth remain true in thee. For example, those with the element of flame may possess most wondrous confidence in their ideals, passionately driven by thy fierce desire to succeed.” Blushing brightly at the compliment, it took a moment for his mind to catch up, Urianger waiting patiently as he absorbed the information. Attempting to deflect from the previous comment, he looked upon the shape of his own hand; producing yet another query for the Elezen beside him. 

“Well- um...If mine is of the element of Flame, what traits do the other elements portray?”

“While I possess not the means to showeth thee all elements, mine own hands doth possess that of Air.” Urianger moved his hand to demonstrate, removing it from where it previously held his own, regret shooting through him as the warmth slowly faded from where they had touched. 

“The palms of mine own hands art wider in shape, with fingers of a greater length-although rather thin in size” To emphasise their differences, he brought his hand up against his own in comparison. Their palms were pressed flat against each other, with Urianger curling the tips of his fingers to sit on top of his own. “However, these variances in shape can be oft attributed to the differing races, so a myriad of distinctions is to be expected-” Tuning out his speech, his blush returned with a vengeance as he realized how close they were, sitting nearly flush against one another with hands intertwined. Blessedly- this was a fact that Urianger seemed to pay little attention to as his lecture carried on. “.....-and oft those of an intellectual nature, preferring the learning of books over matters of emotion-...” 

Finally pulling his hand back, he wiped it on the thin cloth of his shirt, attempting to remove the sheen of nervous sweat he was sure had formed in those moments held together. Not wanting to miss the information so graciously given before, he stuttered out a brief interruption of his speech.

“I-I’m sorry Urianger, I was lost in thought, could you repeat that?”

Only raising a brow in response to the other man’s odd reaction, he repeated himself, words once again lost as his train of thought delved once more to their close proximity. It was only when he realized that the elezen’s mouth had stopped moving that he realized he was staring; leaning back with an awkward chuckle as his heart beat a malm a minute.

_‘Gods, smite him down where he sat, he was doomed. If his heart tried to go any faster he could swear the other man would be able to hear it. He certainly shouldn't be having this kind of reaction from sitting close to someone, regardless of how attractive he found them! He was acting like a prepubescent teen all over again, sweaty palms and spiraling thoughts over a boyhood crush!’_

Frantically trying to move along from his staring fit, he cleared his throat, moving the conversation to what Urianger had briefly mentioned earlier.

“And- And the creases?... I know you had said that they were the primary method of divination?”

“Ah! Mine sincerest apologies, I offered to divine thy palm and yet I speaketh to thou of mine own.” Reaching for his hand once more, Urianger began gently tracing the myriad of lines decorating his hand, describing each as he went. “Thy sun line, to represent thy legacy and fame. Yours possesseth a deep crease, crossing hither-” Running his finger along said line, he moved to the next where it intersected- “-and thy line of fate; however deeply it runs shows if thy life is to be entwined with events out of thy control...” Brows furrowed, he paused a moment, delicately tracing over the deep-set crease once more, before swiftly moving on to the next.

“The line of thy mind-curved, showing open-mindedness to changes around thee-” He was transfixed, watching as the Elezen followed every part, hand gently falling off at the end to trace another. “Thy life line, despite its title, predicts not the length of thy existence but the quality. Yours extends nearly the whole palm- the thoughts and experiences of those 'round thee influences thee greatly.” As he watched him continue, he noticed one untouched line near the top of his palm, not yet given the same treatment as the rest.

“And this one?” he asked, tracing the line with his other hand, too transfixed to do much else. Urianger hesitated a moment, some unseen emotion crossing his face, before trailing it softly as well, bringing his hand even closer to him.

“The line of thy heart. Signifying relationships betwixt friends...or lovers.” Clearing his throat, he studied it closer, following the separations of the line before continuing, his voice noticeably deeper. “Breaks in the line showeth love lost, whether through tragedy or changing of hearts.” He paused, taking a breath to collect his thoughts before continuing with his reading. “If thy line begins below thy index finger, as is yours; you remain loyal to thy companions; while its depth shows passion and dedication to thy partners...” Words trailing off, Urianger suddenly went quiet, eyes locked somewhere in the distance. Finally finding the courage to speak, he interrupted any further thoughts the elezen might have had with a question of his own.

“Does...Does it reveal anything about love yet to come?... Or rather, who that love may be?” 

_‘Twelve preserve him-he was being foolish for even asking, risking his friendship with someone that had stood by his side for so long; but the words had spilled forth without him even thinking!’_

Looking down at the hand held in his own, Urianger hesitated, before stuttering- so unlike the man who’s every word was thought out in advance,

“N-Nay… Naught in the heavens can unite a pair ‘cept their own actions and desires...”

With his words finally spoken, Urianger turned to face him, a red tint visible on his face, quickly spreading to the tips of his ears. He hadn’t even realized they were so close now, could nearly feel the other's breath on his skin, see the tiniest details on his face.

His eyes; once appearing pure gold from a distance, now contained the smallest flecks of brown and orange, autumn leaves drifting outwards in a pool of amber. Freckles dotted across the bridge of his nose, fading under burgundy ink of the tattoo adorning his face. His eyes traveled downward to parted lips as he leaned closer; unable to resist; feeling as if he had been placed under some wicked enchantment. 

Head tilting, their lips finally met, soft and unsure for a moment before he deepened the kiss. He pressed in further, but realized with a start that the elezen had stiffened beneath him, suddenly drawing back as he realized the other had not reciprocated. Shame sent his heart leaping into his throat, tears brimming in the corners of his eyes, unable to look at the other as he retreated to his side of the loveseat.

“Urianger- I-I’m so sorry- We can ju-just forget this even hap-mngh!” 

He was cut off suddenly with a pair of lips on his own; silencing any further speech as he was pulled back- breath stolen away as quickly as it had come. Urianger was unyielding, one hand fisted into the collar of his shirt while the other remained firmly on his cheek-dragging him in again and again till he surfaced; dizzy and gasping for breath like a man drowned. Before he even realized what was happening, he found himself pulled atop the other, knees balanced precariously on either side of him, his hands dragged through silver hair to hold like a lifeline. This continued for what felt like an eternity- interrupted only to surface for air to fill his lungs.

Moving to meet his lips once more, he leaned forward, his knee sliding on the now forgotten tome left beside them. His balance lost, attempting to right himself sent him hurtling into the other man's jaw- bringing forth a startled yelp that yanked them from their revelry; stars dancing across his vision from his now aching nose. 

“Ow!-” “Mine apologies-” “-Urianger! Are you alri-?!” Sudden warmth emanated from his nose, sending him leaning back as he frantically tried to avoid spilling any blood on the other, as Urianger in turn moved forward to check for any damages done. As they tipped, so did their seat, unceremoniously dropping the two of them on the floor in a pile of books as they scrambled to recover. Laying on his back, he cupped his hand over his face, trying to apply pressure to his aching appendage so he wouldn't bleed on the tomes surrounding him-

_‘Which, ow- by the twelve that ached, he really hoped he hadn't just broken it on Uriangers face-’_

Remembering the elezen finally sent him shooting up, attempting to see what exactly had happened to the other man, before a firm hand sent him leaning back once more, something cold and wet pressed to his face. His eyes finally focused on what was in front of him- Urianger had him propped up against the table leg, a linen cloth filled with ice pressed firmly to his throbbing face. As the bleeding slowed, he brought it back, holding the sides of his head to check for damages as his healers’ training rose to the forefront; before swiftly placing the ice back to his face.

“Tis not broken-Merely a bruising of the flesh.” 

“Achk- it schtill hurhts zhough-'' Even attempting to talk through the pressure of his blocked nose was uncomfortable, words coming out muffled and distorted. Drawing back to search for something on the floor nearby- presumably his planisphere, Urianger replaced his hand with that of his now patient, pulling away as the healing globe remained missing in the immediate vicinity. “Hold this hither. I shall return anon~” 

His footsteps quickly faded away, and he heard nothing save the rummaging of items in the next room, till a triumphant “Aha!” brings the swift return of the Elezen. Moving the mostly melted cloth from his face, he cradled his chin gently in one hand, the other now guiding the gentle light of his magicks towards his face. As the pain recedes, the strong scent of mint and chamomile replaces it; the unique scent of the other man’s aether filling his lungs. Seemingly satisfied with his work, he cut off the flow of magic, leaning away to give him more space. Kneeling back, the edge of his jaw catches the light, showing a reddened mark now turning a combination of blue and purple on his skin, slowly bruising.

“Shite- did I hurt you?” Reaching up, he brings the elezen back to eye level, eyes wide in alarm as he gently presses down on the skin, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the man before him.

“Tis...Tis nothing a cure spell cannot mend.” Cheeks reddened in embarrassment, he picked up his planisphere once more, his magic slowly soothing the area till nothing remained but a faded bruise. Their crisis averted, everything caught up to him at once, as he buried his face in his hands with a groan. Shame clouded his features at the fact that his clumsiness had ruined things so terribly.

_‘By the Twelve- how would he be able to look the Elezen in the eyes again? He was mortified! Couldn’t he just bury himself in a cave until the next Calamity?’_

So lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t realized Urianger was even speaking to him until he heard his own name, repeated in worry as he kneeled before him. “....-art thee alright?” 

Peeking through his fingers, he slowly looked out, his previous blush returning with a vengeance as Urianger pulled his hands from his face with care. 

“I-I am now…” Clearing his throat, he attempted to regain some of his dignity, rising to his feet and brushing off the dust he had collected during his time on the floor. Helping the elezen up as well, he glanced about, quickly realizing their tumble had done more than just damage his pride. Several groups of books had been sent to the floor; once neat stacks now combined in a large pile. Urianger must have noticed his distressed look, stepping forward with an expression drawn in worry.

“I pray I hast not disturbed thee by mine actions. Thou art one of mine dearest companions, and If thee findeth mine feelings untoward then I beg thy-” Pulling the elezen forward into a hug, he silenced any protests from the other as he interrupted him, voice vibrating into his chest.

“You absolute fool of a man- you truly think I would have kissed you first if I didn’t feel the same?” Gently turning his face down to meet his own, he placed a line of soft kisses past his now fading bruise all the way to the edge of his tattoo; finally meeting his lips with his own once more. Drawing away, he couldn't help but laugh, gesturing to the mess they now stood upon. “If you must know, I was quite upset at my apparent clumsiness destroying all of our hard work.”

Eyes still wet with unshed tears, Urianger brushed an errant lock of hair from his view, hands gently cradling the other man's face. “Luckily for thee, thy books can be easily reorganized."

Bursting into laughter, he looked back up to the elezen standing before him.“Well...if my mess has done one thing right- it seems I’ll be spending even longer here. I do hope the others can manage without us.”

Eyes filled with mirth, Urianger swiftly pulled him in for another kiss; drawing back with a smirk.

“Full glad am I to keep thee to myself. Now, I believe thee mention’d thy want of a reward?” 


End file.
